


Orange Soda

by joshdunistherealest



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Anxiety Attacks, Coping, Cuddling & Snuggling, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Internal Struggle, M/M, Naked Cuddling, References to Depression, Rumors, Self-Harm, Sexual Experimentation, Slow Burn, Some fighting, Suicide, Underage Drinking
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-19
Updated: 2017-01-30
Packaged: 2018-09-18 11:49:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9383672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/joshdunistherealest/pseuds/joshdunistherealest
Summary: The question is, if your best friend jumped off a cliff, would you?In Josh's case, yes, yes he would.





	1. Chapter 1

Josh leaned over his old rickety desk in the back of the classroom. This was probably one of the worst panic attacks he's probably had in months.

It was seemingly triggered by nothing, which made Josh a combination of scared and irritated.

He closed his eyes, counting. _1, 2, 3 breathe.... 1,2,3 exhale_. 

Nothing was working. 

By now, Josh was swallowing the feeling of nausea in his throat, darting his hand up to grab the attention of his teacher. 

His teacher was a lovely elderly woman named Mrs. Claire who knit her own sweaters and hats for herself. Today, she wore a sweater with a small red train on it.

"Are you alright, Joshua?" She rested a frail hand on his shoulder,  speaking lowly in case other students would hear and give their own input. She knew well about Josh's anxiety, and very well about how much high school students lack in understanding of such things. 

"M'fine. May I go to the restroom? " Josh swallowed again, his stomach churning. 

"Yes, yes of course. " Mrs. Claire ushered him out the door, concern in her expression. She'd caught on quickly to his shaky, jerking movement.

As soon as the door closed, he raced down the hall to the bathroom, panting.

One glance in the mirror proved he looked very, very ill. Josh cupped his hands under the running faucet, splashing water in his face. 

He suddenly felt too dizzy to be standing, and sat down beside the sinks, head leaning down on his knees as they were pulled to his chest. 

"Crap. " Josh huffed, his brain suddenly telling him he needed to hyperventilate right about now. 

He was too distracted to notice another boy walking into the bathroom.

The boy in question was Tyler Joseph, basketball captain and class clown. He had eyes kinder than a kitten, and crooked teeth that still shined when he smiled.

"Hey, you alright bud?" Tyler knelt down in front of him, rubbing fingers over his knee in a soft rhythm. 

Josh looked up into his eyes, his face instantly flushing with a red haze. He didn't like anyone seeing him like this. Let alone someone as popular ~~and beautiful~~ as Tyler freaking Joseph. 

At a loss for words, he just shakes his head, tucking his chin to his chest and fiddling with his fingers. He had little tears dribbling down his pale cheeks. 

"Oh no, don't cry!" Tyler pouts, running his thumb across his cheek.

This only causes Josh to full-on cry now, hiccuping and melting into the affectionate touches. 

Tyler scoots beside him, book bag slung over a shoulder. His touch continued to linger on the other boy's cheek for a bit too long, just feeling his pudgy face under his fingertips. 

Subconsciously, Josh leans into Tyler's shoulder, humming through tears. His own chest felt hollow and cold, but _god_ , Tyler was warm.

"Is it anxiety, sweetie? " Tyler chirps, carding his fingers through Josh's thick blue hair. 

Josh just silently nods, rocking himself back and forth. 

"Does your belly hurt?" Tyler brushes a blue strand away from his eyes. It was pretty obvious he was babying him, but it was so weird to hear it out of his mouth. Tyler, supposedly the biggest manly man in the school was using words like belly and sweetie. 

But his 'belly' did hurt after all. He wasn't going to sit there and deny the churning gymnastics his organs seemed to be doing. "Yeah, I mean, a little."

"Here, let me help you." Tyler was reaching into his book bag before Josh even had a say in it. The lanky male tugs out a small can of orange soda. "These little things always help me."

Josh takes it with welcoming hands, accidentally brushing his knuckles along the way with a shiver.

"You have anxiety too? " Josh blurts out in disbelief. He didn't mean it to be as offensive as it came out to be, but he couldn't stop himself. 

Tyler scoffs, opening Josh's can of soda for him even though he was perfectly capable of doing it himself, thank you very much. "You kidding me? Of course I do. " he pauses, twisting his hair around his forefinger. "I don't just play basketball and play around. Us popular dudes get scared too. "

Josh fidgets, taking a large gulp of his soda. He felt the tang of the citrus first, and then the bubbling of the carbonation easing his stomach. "Why are you being so sweet to me?"

"Because you're a sweet person, and sweet people deserve to be treated as such. " Tyler nudges him with his shoulder, coaxing a weak smile out of him. "There we go!"

Josh chuckles, avoiding those melted chocolate brown eyes with all his might. 

"I'm being real, yknow that right?" Tyler leans closer, and Josh feels his heart his about to pump straight out of his chest. "I really do think you're sweet. "

He stays relatively silent, not really sure how to respond to the compliment. "Uh. "

Tyler sighed, putting his letterman jacket over Josh's shoulders.

"Here, let me walk you back to class. "


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for taking interest in this story, there is more to come!

"You know you're not supposed to be here. " Josh pouts, leaning over his windowsill to peer at a disheveled Tyler scaling his roof. 

"Didn't know where else to go." Tyler offers up a kind smile, nudging the window open farther. "You gonna let me in or what?  It's cold out here. 

For the past few nights since he met Tyler in the bathroom, the younger boy had been ruthless in his attempts to talk to Josh. Even at one point asking his brother Jordan for his number so he could bombard him with texts. 

It wasn't an inconvenience to Josh though, because at least someone was showing interest in him. He didn't seem to think of himself as all that great, and this just boosted his confidence. 

"Yeah, uhm, yeah come in. " Josh  stuttered, taking a step back so Tyler could crawl in his window. 

He was halfway through when Josh began rambling. 

"So, why are you here again?  I mean not that I'm complaining but it is twelve AM on a school night and I -"

"Can you talk any faster? " Tyler smirks, beginning to scope through the other's stuff with snooping hands. 

Josh huffed silently, standing awkwardly while his privacy was invaded. 

"The Smiths, niiice." Tyler bit his lip, dusting off a vinyl he pulled out of a box. 

"Uh yeah, I used to be into them hardcore, now not so much. Found other things I guess. " Josh shifted, wringing his hands. 

"Cool. " Tyler sat up, still holding the record in his gentle hands. He glances up at Josh briefly, making him melt with the most deep pair of chocolate eyes he had ever seen.

"You wanna-" Josh clears his throat, averting his gaze. "You wanna play it? My player is over in the corner. "

"Don't mind if I do. " Tyler skipped giddily to the record player, popping it in and carefully guiding the needle. Still bent over the teal record player, he peers over his shoulder. 

"So where are your parents, Josh?" 

"My guess is as good as yours. Probably drinking at a friend's dinner party again. " Josh sat back on the bed, crossing his legs politely. 

Tyler stood up straight, walking scarily close to where Josh was seated on the bed. "Oh good, now I can kiss you without getting caught. "

"Wait, what? " Josh scrambles back, propped up on his elbows. 

"I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm heavily  interested in you." Tyler purrs out, beginning to nip and suck at the space under Josh's ear. "Just figured we could experiment a little. "

"Experiment with.. Mm.. What?" Josh gasps, not quite sure if he should press into the attention or shy away from it. His fingers quickly find solace on Tyler's chest. 

"What do you think? " Tyler bites down on Josh's  neck softly, making him squeal and arch his back. "Virgin. "  He laughs against his skin. 

"Of course I'm a virgin, you idiot. " Josh heaves out a breath, eyelashes fluttering closed at the feeling of Tyler steadily giving him a hickey. "I don't... believe in sex before marriage. "

"Dry humping is always a thing." Tyler says nonchalantly, rolling his eyes as he moves down to hike up Josh's shirt. 

Josh panics, freezing and clutching his hand around Tyler's wrist, looking at him with wide eyes. "Wait! I'm...uh...tired, yeah. Real tired. "

Tyler stares at him in disbelief, not used to rejection. "Oh, well, that's fine I guess."

Josh squeezes his legs together, lifting up the covers on his bed. "We can cuddle?"

Tyler gives a tight, awkward smile, biting his tongue. "Sure, let's do that. "

The two lanky teen boys shuffle underneath Josh's covers, facing towards each other. It's only then they realize that they left most their clothes on. 

"Hey Josh?" 

"Yeah?"

"Can I..drop some layers to get comfortable? No funny business, I promise. "

"Oh, okay. I was going to do that too, that's fine. "

Josh is the first to tug his shirt off, and then down comes the jeans, easily forming a pile on the floor and leaving him just in his grey Calvin Klein's. 

With Tyler, he tugs off his shoes first with a thump, then his sweater and basketball shorts. His boxers hung low on his hips as he crawled back under the navy blue covers of Josh's bed. 

There was something oddly beautiful about getting to know someone so much by how their body fits with yours. Josh's back curved naturally right against where Tyler's body sunk in a little, and they slotted together rear to hip with ease. Their legs tangled melodically, each of their knees hooking around a leg that wasn't their own.

Tyler saw the marks he made on Josh's skin, and traced them with tender hands, tracing a hickey in the shape of a heart. 

For them, it seemed it wasn't that crazy to cuddle with an almost stranger in the dead of night. At least they were keeping each other warm.

And their heartbeats synced like the soft beat of a butterfly's wings. 


End file.
